This document discusses four main sources of authority that can guide ethical behavior: law, religion, culture, and cultural relativism. It provides examples of how the law constrains certain acts. It describes religion as a system of faith that can obligate followers based on divine commands. Culture is defined as learned patterns of behavior and beliefs that vary between social groups. Cultural relativism holds that what is ethical depends on one's culture, so it teaches tolerance of other cultures.

1. ETHICS
M a e s t r a A l y s s a M a r i e Q u e r i m i t
G E C 2 I n s t r u c t o r
Ly c e u m - N o r t h w e s t e r n U n i v e r s i t y

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SOURCES OF AUTHORITY
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LAW
-is one’s guide to ethical behavior.
• The law does not tell us what we should do; it works by
constraining us from performing acts that we should not do.
Examples:
No drunk driving
No underage drinking
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SOURCES OF AUTHORITY
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RELIGION
-a particular system of faith and worship.
Idea: One is obliged to obey his/her God in all things.
• Divine Command Theory- is th e b elief th at someth in g is
eth ically rig ht if God ord ers it, an d morally b ad if God forb id s it.
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SOURCES OF AUTHORITY
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RELIGION
• Multiplicity of religions
Eac h faith p lac es variou s d eman d s on its followers, resu ltin g in seemin g ly
contrad ic tin g eth ical stan d ard s.
“Different religions, different beliefs.”
For examp le: Certain relig ion s h ave p roh ib ition s con c ern in g wh at food
may b e con su med wh ile oth ers d o n ot sh are th e same con straints.
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SOURCES OF AUTHORITY
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RELIGION
• Divine Command Theory- is the belief that something is
eth ically rig ht if God ord ers it, an d morally b ad if God forb id s it.
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SOURCES OF AUTHORITY
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CULTURE
- th e p attern s of learn ed an d sh ared b eh avior an d b eliefs of a p artic u lar
soc ial, eth n ic , or age g rou p .
Examples:
JAPAN- d o p u t you r p alms togeth er an d say “ Itad akimasu ” b efore
eatin g .
KOREA- d o n ot leave you r c h opstic ks
stu c k in ric e.
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CULTURE
• Cultural relativism - wh at is eth ically ac c eptab le or u n ac c eptab le is
relative or d ep en d ent on on e’s c u ltu re.
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Try some deep
fried crickets.
They’re delicious!
Huh? Crickets?
That’s disgusting!
Try some deep fried
crickets. They’re
delicious!
I’m not used to
eating crickets. Can
you tell me why you
like them?

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SOURCES OF AUTHORITY
Culture Relativism teaches us to be tolerant of others from
different cultures, as we realize that we are in no position to
judge whether the ethical thought or practice of another culture
is acceptable or unacceptable.
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